“Whoa,” Kaya whispered in awe, staring at him with curious, probing eyes.
“Whoa indeed,” Audelia smirked.
He stood up, and the change in his height and physicality was immediately obvious.
“We are stronger together,” he said suddenly, looking at the two women. “That much is clear. I felt it, after our, uh... adventure in the chamber of food. I know you felt it, too.”
Kaya and Audelia nodded. They couldn't deny that they had grown somehow connected to him, that being around him made them all stronger somehow. It was immediately obvious to them after their sexual liaison, and they each had a sense that connection would only grow in time.
“I think that's the power I've been absorbing. Those I care about, those close to me, are enhanced, too. If we're stronger together,” he went on, “then we stay together. We have a responsibility now.”
“To do what?” Kaya asked.
“To do... good stuff,” Billy shrugged. “To be good guys. To right our wrongs, I dunno. But we can never do this again.” He gestured to the wizard's corpse on the ground beside him.
Audelia shuddered as she took one last look at the dead sorcerer and his grand hall. “All this for a bag of silver,” she sighed. Her words injured them all.
Chapter 8
◆◆◆
The descent from the tower was a dark reminder of their crimes. Kaya and Audelia tried their best to ignore the slew of bodies they'd left behind, but Billy resolved to drink in the sight of each misdeed. This wasn't who he was. This didn't represent what he was all about. But there were many things about what had happened that bothered him, not the least of which was the fact that the being that brought him to this world seemingly encouraged him to head in this direction, to take the core for himself. This begged the question: could that strange god be trusted? And what was their motive?
Billy and his companions exited the tower and pulled the map out, finding the mark that they needed to head towards and charting a course. It took only a minute for them to read their location on the map and figure out the direction they needed to travel to reach the road, but there was still no road in sight. It would be a while. A long, quiet journey lay ahead of them.
On the second day, their path met a road at last, and they were at a fork, which indicated on the map that they were only a couple dozen miles outside the domain of their destination. That night, they lit a small campfire in a dry patch outside the forest. The earth was more barren here, as though something had once poisoned the land. Grass didn't grow right—it was gray and dry, and even the sun seemed hesitant to shine.
The three traveling warriors arranged to take shifts, watching the imposing darkness for trouble in three-hour increments so that each of them could get a sum total of six hours rest. Kaya had drawn the longest lot, so she got to go first, meaning that she'd have six consecutive hours of sleep, and she'd get to keep watch for the three brightest hours of the night.
Although it seemed luck was on her side, the opposite would turn out to be true. That night, Billy and Audelia slept soundly, and no one stirred them from their sleep until just before sunrise, when Billy awoke on his own. Alarmed by the morning hour, he jerked forward, searching for Kaya, but couldn't see her anywhere.
“Shit, Audelia, wake the fuck up!” he said, shaking her.
“By the gods, what time is it?” she said, equally disturbed. “Where is Kaya?”
“We need to go,” Billy said. “Now.”
They got up immediately and searched the surroundings for clues, calling out Kaya's name into the early morning air, but there was no reply other than the uninterested chirping of cicadas and the faint sound of wind tossing dirt from patch to patch on the ground.
They stayed instinctively close now, afraid to be separated from one another, and eventually turned to the ground for answers. It took some time, but Audelia found footsteps in the dirt, along with a patch of dried blood and a trail suggesting that Kaya had been dragged somewhere.
They followed the trail as fast as they could while keeping it in their sights at all times. They moved tirelessly in pursuit of their friend. Billy was enraged, now, indignant and vengeful. He didn't know who took her, but he knew one thing—they would live to regret taking Kaya and leaving him alive.
Eventually, the trail faded, but it was because suddenly the ground was covered in dozens of footprints, and it seemed as though they had carried Kaya together somewhere. Soon Billy and Audelia's hearts lifted in hope and fury when they began to hear chanting in the distance, accompanied by the playing of flutes and drums off in the distance. They followed the sound, quiet as the dawn, and gripped their blades tight. Every muscle twitched with eagerness.
Billy realized at this point that it was more than his desire to protect Kaya that inspired such intense feelings in him at this particular moment. Surely, that played a great part, but the other factor was his hunger to do something right, to kill something that deserved dying. And anyone who harmed his Kaya—they deserved dying.
On their bellies, Audelia and Billy observed a party of serpentmen, not unlike those they faced in the tower. There were six...seven...eight of them altogether. Most of them were unarmed, save but two, who had simple clubs. Kaya should have been able to take most of them on if she wanted to, but she must have been caught by surprise and clubbed unconscious. And now, there she was, sliced up with profane sigils that now bled from her stomach and exposed arms and legs, tied to a primitively carved wooden pole that emerged from the ground, apparently staked deep into the earth. The pole had blasphemous symbols etched upon its surface, and a quartet of flute and drum players were dancing around her joyfully as though this were some innocent spring festival.
Billy felt his heart clench with anger, but he continued to size up the surroundings. Eight of them, mostly unarmed, though some had spears and clubs. Kaya was being offered as some sort of apparent sacrifice. To what? Gods seemed very real in these lands—even the bad ones, so Billy didn’t want to be here long enough to learn much more.
“We'd better act before it's too late,” he whispered as he pushed himself onto his feet. He and Audelia lunged forward, killing indiscriminately, blood flying as the serpentmen and women hissed and cried out in anger and surprise. A few of them fought back, but they were quickly disarmed and disemboweled, and when the dust had settled, eight bodies lay on the ground at their feet. It didn't feel like they'd done good, but it did feel justified.
Meanwhile, the pole was rapidly being consumed by flames, so Audelia acted fast. She climbed the post and cut Kaya free. She tried to hold Kaya up as she cut her down from the beam, but she failed, and her heart lurched as Kaya fell off the post toward the ground. To her immense relief, Billy was waiting, and he caught her delicately in his powerful arms.
Kaya's eyes fluttered open like the wings of a butterfly, and the barbarian felt relief surge through him as her pretty emerald orbs fixed on him.
“Billy,” she said, grinning faintly. “You came.”
“Of course we did. We came. We saw. We killed them all,” he replied with a chuckle.
Just then, a loud roar echoed from the distance. The three of them exchanged frantic looks.
“What the frick was that?” Billy asked, fully aware that no one else knew the answer.
“Our cue to leave,” Audelia suggested. They fled. Audelia and Billy, that is. Billy slung Kaya over his back like a sack of grain, and she was just conscious enough to hold on tight. Billy had grown so strong by this point that he could easily charge forward at a dead sprint with both of the women on his back if he had to—in fact, he hardly noticed Kaya there once he’d begun running.
They fled in the general direction of the town that they were attempting to reach, but after they'd been sprinting for an hour, they collapsed with exhaustion.
“We have to rest,” Audelia said, panting heavily, trying and failing to catch her breath. “I can't... I can't go on anymore. We need to stop.”
“Ditt
o,” Billy said, setting Kaya down on the ground as he took a sip from his canteen. It was almost the last drop of water he had, and he felt bad taking it for himself. They'd need to find a clear brook soon.
He pulled out the map and attempted to figure out exactly where they were, but it was a fool's errand. They hadn't seen any landmarks in a while. They knew which was north, south, east, and west, but they weren't sure how far they'd traveled, and now, they didn't know which way their destination was.
It was still early, though, not even midday, so, hopeful that they'd lost the trail of whatever roaring creature they'd heard earlier—if it was even pursuing them at all—they rested to discuss which way they should go.
“It's pretty simple,” Audelia eventually reasoned. “We head north until we find a road. Examine the map. The road near to us runs sharply east to west, meaning no matter where we are, we'll eventually run into it if we travel northward.”
“Sounds logical to me,” Billy agreed.
Meanwhile, Kaya's wounds were in danger of getting infected. Though they didn't say anything, everyone eyed the carvings in her body frequently, worrying more and more as time went on.
The path ahead was far less perilous, thankfully. They ran into no trouble for the remainder of the day, and they resolved to let Kaya sleep through the night. The night passed by without incident, and a tranquil morning came.
Finally, after several more hours, the trio of adventurers had come across the road marked on the map. They were within a day's ride of the town, they knew, because of the presence of trees matching a section on their map. They were making good time, despite the diversion. Even so, they had to make camp. They would need to rest. And that night, something was on the mind of Billy’s companions that would need to be addressed.
Chapter 9
◆◆◆
Under the stars and the yellow moon, as they sat by the fire, Billy picked up on an air of anxiety and curiosity that pervaded his two companions. For a time, he said nothing, and save for the idle chatter about the day, the night passed by without query or incident. However, a creeping guilt filled Billy, and he knew that they wouldn't question him without his explicit invitation.
“I kinda noticed you two seem a bit, uh, tense or whatever,” he said. “Is it cool if I ask what's up?”
Audelia the battle maiden and Kaya the rogue exchanged awkward glances, clearly both sharing a similar concern, but it was Audelia who spoke first. “Billy, might I inquire as to what you know about cores?”
The barbarian relaxed slightly to hear the subject of their curiosity, but he was still on edge because the frank answer to her question was that he knew very little. “I have absorbed three of them,” he said. “Beyond that, I don't know shit. Why?”
“Yes,” Kaya said, sitting up straight and joining in, “that was the bit that surprised me. You absorbed a core? Three of them? How did you get the other two, first of all?”
“Someone gave them to me,” he said.
“Who?”
Billy shook his head. “That I don’t know. It's kind of complicated. Why do you ask? What do you know about cores?”
Audelia straightened herself up as if to speak but then leaned her head against her palm, lost in quiet reflection. After a long silence, she finally said, “Just the legends of my people.”
Kaya sighed. “I've picked up a bit of lore in the slums from the street mages, but not much.”
“Gotta be more than what I know. Hit me,” Billy said, gesturing for them to continue as he idly used his ax to whittle away at a branch.
Audelia started. “Well, it's said that cores are spheres of celestial power. They can be channeled for magic, but they aren't related to the magic used by wizards and conjurers, as far as I know. They are their own entity entirely, and mortals who can absorb spheres often become demigods or even ascend to godhood.” She eyed the barbarian with hungry eyes now, but the hunger wasn't driven by lust but by something else. A curiosity, perhaps? “So that begs the question—what are you?”
Before he could answer, Kaya interjected, “I've heard much the same, though mages tend to think spheres are sources of magical energy, those who absorb spheres rarely end up being mages or wizards, so the jury is out on that one as far as I'm concerned.”
“Either way, it sounds like I'm pretty hot shit for being able to absorb the cores,” Billy said with a chuckle.
“It's no joking matter, Billy,” Audelia said. “You possess an incredible power. It is imperative that you learn to harness it. Each sphere grants different abilities and strengthens the body and mind. You've absorbed three! Do you even know what your powers are yet?”
This was news to Billy. “No,” he admitted. “I didn't know they grant powers. But I did notice I was getting buff, obviously.”
“The power is probably available to you right now,” Kaya said. “You just need to learn how to tap into it.”
“How the heck do I do that?” Billy said, dropping his ax and scratching his head in frustration. “I don't know shit about this whole world, let alone these stupid cores.”
Kaya and Audelia exchanged confused looks. “This whole world?” Audelia asked. “Just where are you from?”
“Let's just say that 'outlander' is an apt description,” Billy sighed. “'Outworlder' would probably fit better, though.”
“I see,” Kaya said, her eyes suddenly wide with realization. “Interesting.”
“What is it?” asked Audelia.
“People absorbing cores coming from other worlds,” Kaya said. “Doesn't that sound familiar?”
Audelia's eyes lit up in sudden realization. “He's a Chosen!”
“Yes. He's a new god,” Kaya said.
Billy, for his part, couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mouth gaped open, wanting to speak but not sure where to begin. Surely there must be a mistake, he thought. This couldn't be the truth, no matter how things seemed to them. He was just Billy Meier! Just a dude from Wisconsin!
After watching Billy react and piecing together everything they'd realized so far, Audelia squirmed with another realization. “Which makes us—”
“—Don't say it,” Kaya pleaded, her eyes glinting wide and desperate.
“What?” Billy asked. “You're involved, too?”
The two women stared at each other. They were waiting for the other to speak, but neither really wanted the duty. They'd both felt Billy's power in them after they'd bonded through intercourse and fought side-by-side with him. Their bond grew stronger every day, and already it was tough for both of them to imagine separating themselves from the barbarian. These feelings, combined with their suspicions about Billy's true nature, made them all but certain of their own roles. “We're probably meant to be your heavenly concubines,” Audelia said, biting her lip in embarrassment.
The barbarian tried to process and understand the implication of the words. He knew what a concubine was. He knew what a god was. Somehow, it just couldn't sink in. He refused to connect the dots, refused to see the signs.
“No,” he said. “I'm sure that's not right.”
“Pretty sure it is,” Kaya sighed. Audelia only nodded her agreement, but the simple gesture spoke volumes. Suddenly Kaya perked up, though. “If it is true, though, that's not so bad, right?” Kaya said.
“No, I suppose it isn't,” Audelia considered. “Aside from being a concubine, that is.”
“Right, but you'll be an immortal concubine to a god!”
Audelia's eyebrows raised, clearly considering the more attractive side of the equation for the first time. “Very true.”
“So this means we need to help him get as many cores as we can!” Kaya said, clenching her fist, a cute look of determination showing on her pretty face.
“It seems we are on that path, yes,” Audelia said, conceding the obvious truth. “We came this far without even meaning to. Now that we know what we have to do, I imagine it should be rather straightforward.”
Billy was bewildered by the c
onversation happening in front of him—about him—but he decided to participate. “Okay, cool, so let's say we decide to pump me full of cores,” he began. “Where do we get them?”
“Old temples, in the staffs of powerful sorcerers, from the corpses of dead gods, sometimes kept in private collections,” Kaya said, tracing something on her hand with her fingers. “They're around, collecting dust in all corners of the world. We just need to look in the right places and ask the right people.”
Billy wondered quietly who the right people were, but he thought better than to ask at the moment. For now, he had more than enough to digest in terms of new information. He was glad he pressed the topic but also overwhelmed. Him? A new god? Concubines? It added up to some degree—the bond with the women, his ability to absorb cores, the fact that he came from another world and definitely had some sort of divine contact—it gelled with what Kay and Audelia were saying. Still, it was too surreal to believe entirely, but he knew, at least intellectually, he'd better commit to believing it for his own good. He was here for a reason, and now he had an idea about what that reason might be.
He looked up at the moon, and for the first time, he noticed it wasn't his moon. He knew it already, of course, but he'd never reflected on it or taken the time to give it a proper viewing. This wasn't earth, so it followed logically that the moon wouldn't be the same, but now that he stared at it, he couldn't help but see the differences. His moon—earth's moon—was a craterous, pock-marked thing that glowed white, but the moon above him was decidedly yellow and comparatively smooth. It also seemed much larger in the sky. He couldn’t help but feel drawn to it somehow, like it, too, played some role in the destiny that was unfolding in front of him.
Billy the Barbarian 1: The Heights of Dread: An Isekai Sword and Sorcery Harem Lit Adventure Fantasy! Page 8
